Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

Tackling the taboo: Building workforce confidence to address sexual health in cancer care (146352)

Sharon De Graves 1 2 , Claudia Rutherford 3 4 , Kate White 3 4 , Mary Hayes 3 , Hollie Speer 3 , Kathe Holmes 2 , Erin Turner 2 , Goran Duric 2 5 , Caitlin Broomhall 2 6 , Kyleigh Smith 2 , Michelle Barrett 2
  1. Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences, University of Melbourne , Parkville , VIC
  2. VCCC Alliance, Parkville, VIC
  3. Cancer Care Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
  4. The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, NSW
  5. Faculty of Fine Arts and Music , University of Melbourne , Parkville, VIC
  6. Melbourne Health , Parkville , VIC

Background: Sexual health is often affected by cancer and its treatment yet remains among the least discussed aspects of care. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) consistently identify limited comfort, confidence, knowledge and communication skills as barriers to initiating conversations about sexual health, resulting in unmet sexual health needs. Addressing this gap, the VCCC Alliance and the University of Sydney partnered to co-design an open-access, national education program to upskill the cancer workforce in detecting and managing these issues.

Aim: To describe the development, implementation and planned evaluation of an education program designed to improve HCPs comfort, confidence, knowledge and communication skills in addressing sexual health concerns in cancer care.

Methods: Co-designed with HCPs and people with lived experience, the program includes self-paced learning, practical communication strategies, clinical resources, and AI-enabled simulated patient interactions. User testing with 10 HCPs from the target audience assessed program content, functionality, usability, relevance, acceptability, and perceived impact on learning. Results informed the final program which launched July 2026. A 9-month evaluation is underway, examining learner engagement, confidence, communication capability, and intention to change practice measured at baseline, post-course, and follow-up.

Results: User testing indicated high acceptability, with 100% of participants reporting the program was practical and useful. All participants agreed the program improved their knowledge, comfort and confidence in communicating with people affected by cancer about their sexual health needs. Early evaluation findings demonstrate strong interest in addressing this under-recognised area of practice. Preliminary data will be presented.

Conclusion: Addressing sexual health should be a core component of comprehensive cancer care rather than an optional discussion. This co-designed education program demonstrates how targeted workforce education can build HCP comfort and confidence to support routine conversations about sexual health in cancer care. Ongoing evaluation will determine the programs impact on workforce capability and clinical practice.